Tumbler toy



March 15, 1960 Filed May 28, 1958 c. E. PAUL 2,928,673

TUMBLER TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Charles E, Paul I INVENTOR.

March 15, 1960 c. E. PAUL 2,928,673

TUMBLER TOY Filed May 28, 1958 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles E. Paul 1 N VEN TOR.

: I BY Fig.3

TUMBLER TOY Charles E. Paul Bulfalo, N.Y., assignor of fifty percent to Lena Z. Paul, Bulfalo, N.Y.

. Application May 28, 1958, Serial No. 788,424

Claims. (Cl. 272-31) The present invention generally relates to an amusement device and more particularly to a toy of the spring motor driven type incorporating a plurality of rolling or tumbling drums or wheels.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spring motor driven tumbler toy including an annular trackway having a plurality of tumbling drums rolling thereon and driven from a central hub with there being' provided means for raising the drums away from the trackway for a period of movement for permitting free rotation of the drums thereby providing a highly entertaining toy jor amusement device. I I

Another object of the present invention is to provide 'a tumbler toy which closely simulates a thrill ride normally found in amusement parksbut which is in the form of a toy and driven by a spring motor and'having an extremely simple construction which is easy toImaintain and relatively inexpensive to manufacturer v These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the toy of the present invention with portions thereof broken away for illustrating the details of construction;

Figure 2 is an elevation of a part of the toy illustrating the construction of the simulated ticket selling booth;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of Figure 1 illustrating further structural details of the toy;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 44 of Figure l illus trating the central hub or turret construction;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 55 of Figure 3 illustrating further structural details of the device;

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional View of the tumbling drum and wheel adjacent thereto;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of one of the wheels and drums;

'Figure 8 is a sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a view taken generally along reference line 9-9 of Figure 8 illustrating the construction of the rotatable drum.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the toy of the present invention which includes a generally cylindrical upstanding peripheral wall 12 having a complete bottom 14 or a skeletonized bottom wall forming a base for holding the wall 12 in a vertical position.

Supported adjacent the upper end of the wall 12 is an annular trackway 16 in the form of a generally horizontal flange which may be slightly downwardly inclined with the flange 16 being disposed below the upper end of the wall 12. The flange 16 may be supported by an annular ring member 18 engaged with the wall 12 and a plurality of circumferentially' spaced triangular gusset plates 20 for ri'gidifying the trackway 16. The ring 18 may be separate 7 from the flange 16 or may be integral therewith.

Disposed inwardly ofthe trackway 16 and concentric therewith is a'segmental trackway 22 having a lead-on and lead-off downwardly inclined ramp 24 for a purpose described hereinafter.

Supported exteriorly of the wall 12 is a simulated ticket booth designated by. the numeral 26'which includes a simulated door and ticket window 28 and which is connected with the wall 12 by bracket means 30. Disposed interiorly of thesimulated ticket booth 26 is a spring wound pow'er motor generally'designated by the numeral 32 and having a polygonal projection 34 extending from the ticket booth 26 so that a wind-up key may be positioned thereonfor winding up the spring motor 32. The spring motor 32 has an'elongated power output'shaft 36 extending through apertures 38 in the wall'12 and extending radially to the center of the bottom 14 where it is provided with a drive gear 40' as well as a supporting bracket 42 which is secured to the bottom 14 and has an opening at .thej top end thereof for receiving a collar 44 on the Shaft 36 thus journalling the shaft and supporting the drive ."gear '40. 'The upstanding bracket 42 for the dr'ic'al, member 50 having a vertical pin-52-received therein with the, pin 52 having. a rounded head-54 for insertion through a "central hub 56" 'thus rotat ably mounting the hub '56 in relation to the cylindrical support member 50. The lower surface of the hub 56 is provided with a downwardly facing ring gear 58 secured thereto by fasteners 60. The downwardly facing ring gear 58 is in meshing engagement with the drive gear 40 thus causing the hub 56 to be rotated about the axis of the pin 52. The hub 56 has a plurality of radially extending arms 62 embedded therein as clearly shown in Figure 4 with the arms extending radially outwardly and upwardly and terminating in overlying relation to the trackway 16. Freely rotatably mounted on the end of each arm 36 is provided an inner support wheel 64 and an outer cylindrical tumbler drum 66 having one open wall and a closed or partially closed wall 68 with the tnmbler'66 having simulated persons 70 seated therein on seats 72. Spacing collars 74 may be provided for mounting the wheel and drum in position with swaging 76 and retaining means 78 for retaining the elements in assembled condition. The drum 66 moves on the trackway 68 while the wheel 64 will normally be free of contact with any trackways until such time as the wheel 64 engages a lead-on ramp at which time the wheel 64 will move on the segmental trackway 22. Inasmuch as the diameter of the wheel 64 is greater than the drum 66, the drum 66 will then become freely rotatable so that if the drum is in an unbalanced condition, it will rotate towards a balanced condition thus providing a freely rotatable tumbling drum.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate a construction in which both the wheel 64' and drum 66 are provided with spokes 78 and a web 80 which closely simulates an actual surface wagon wheel which may be decorated any suitable colors for further facilitating this concept.

In operating the device, the spring motor is wound in the usual manner and the spring will drive the shaft thus causing rotation'of the central hub about a vertical axis. As the drums roll along the trackway 16; they provide a very attractive and amusing toy device and when the Patented Mar. 15, 186.0.

drums are raised ofi the tracltway by engagement of the wheels with the segmental trackway; and the" drumsmay' freely rotate to a balanced condition thus providing a' highly entertaining toy in'which, the drums are at. times freelyrotatable. 3 V

The foregoing is considered as. illustrativeonly' of the principles of the invention. Further, since, numerous modifications and changes will readily occun'to those; skilled in the art,tit is not desired'to limit the invention. to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications, and' equivalents may be resorted to, fallingwithin the scope of the invention as claimed. 7 What is claimed as new is as follows: f

' 1. A toy device comprising a circular trackiway, a cen-' cludes. an inner wheel freely rotatable on each arm, said segmental trackway-including sections in the. same plane as the circular trackway. for engagement with the wheels;

said wheels having a larger diameter than the drumsvfor raising the drumsofi of the trackway when thewheels' are engaged with saidsections.

' 3. A toy device comprisingabi'rcular. trackway,. a. central' rotatable hub; a pluralityof radial arms extending? from" said hubandoverlying the trackway, asegmental'.

trackway disposed inwardly of "the. circular tracltway,','a

" ing'the circulartrackway; motor means for' rotatingsaidtumbler drum rotatable on each and rollingly engaghub, and means on each of said arms in engagement with the segmental trackway for raising the drums away from thetcircular trackway during'a portion of the movement thereof thereby allowing the tumbler drums to freely rotate to a balanced condition said means including an inner wheel freely rotatable on each arm, said segmental trackway including sections inv the same plane as the circular trackwayfor engagement with the wheels, said -wli'eel's" having atl'arger, diameten'thanthe-d'rurns for raising the drums ofibfthietreickway when the wheels are 'engagedl with said Sections; said. motor: means; including a key wind spring operated'motor, and. a.simulated ticket booth housing said'motor. I

I 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said drum and wheels are of spoked construction.

5 A tumbler toy= comprising a driven rotatable hub, a pliiralit'y'offradiafarms carried by said hub, a drum freelyjrotatable" ontlieouter end of "each arm, each drum having an open outer end andfigurenes disposedlthereint in offset relation for rotation with the jdrum, a continuous trackway rolli'ngly supporting said drums for rotating the drumslab'out th'e-axes'd'efined bythe arms, a plurality of circumferentially spaced. partial .trackways on the inner edge offthe continuous. t'raekway, and means mounted on V eachlarm. for engaging the. partial trackways for. elevating the arm andfd'rum. thereon during a portion, of each,

revolution of "the arm' thereby permitting the drum. to.

rotate freely on the drum while outofengagement with the continuous trackway References Cited inlthe fiIeofJthis atent.

' FOREIGN PATENTS- 571,574 Great. Britain. May.23,; 1946 

